EP0338800B1 - Rack and pinion type steering apparatus - Google Patents

Rack and pinion type steering apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0338800B1
EP0338800B1 EP89303875A EP89303875A EP0338800B1 EP 0338800 B1 EP0338800 B1 EP 0338800B1 EP 89303875 A EP89303875 A EP 89303875A EP 89303875 A EP89303875 A EP 89303875A EP 0338800 B1 EP0338800 B1 EP 0338800B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
rack
guide
shaft
rack guide
ribs
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP89303875A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0338800A2 (en
EP0338800A3 (en
Inventor
Yoshimi Kotake
Keiichi Sakamoto
Hiroshi Higashiyama
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Koyo Seiko Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Koyo Seiko Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Koyo Seiko Co Ltd filed Critical Koyo Seiko Co Ltd
Publication of EP0338800A2 publication Critical patent/EP0338800A2/en
Publication of EP0338800A3 publication Critical patent/EP0338800A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0338800B1 publication Critical patent/EP0338800B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D3/00—Steering gears
    • B62D3/02—Steering gears mechanical
    • B62D3/12—Steering gears mechanical of rack-and-pinion type
    • B62D3/123—Steering gears mechanical of rack-and-pinion type characterised by pressure yokes
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16H—GEARING
    • F16H55/00—Elements with teeth or friction surfaces for conveying motion; Worms, pulleys or sheaves for gearing mechanisms
    • F16H55/02—Toothed members; Worms
    • F16H55/26—Racks
    • F16H55/28—Special devices for taking up backlash
    • F16H55/283—Special devices for taking up backlash using pressure yokes
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/19—Gearing
    • Y10T74/19642—Directly cooperating gears
    • Y10T74/1967—Rack and pinion

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a rack and pinion type steering apparatus and, more particularly, to improvement of a rack guide thereof.
  • a rack and pinion type steering mechanism has been widely used for a steering apparatus of an automobile.
  • a rack guide (a support yoke) is disposed on the back side of the position engaging with a pinion shaft at the rack shaft so that the rack shaft is securely engaged with the pinion shaft.
  • the rack guide is fitted into a guide bore provided at a rack housing in the rectangular direction to the rack shaft and is supported so that the rack shaft is properly pressed against the pinion shaft.
  • the rack guide made of sintered alloy has been used.
  • the space formed between the rack guide and the guide bore produces big hammering noise.
  • the rack guide made of synthetic resin has generally come to be used and many different techniques have been proposed.
  • a rack guide is disposed with plural streaks of annular elastic ribs in the outer periphery thereof.
  • the annular elastic ribs are pressed and fitted into the guide bore so as to abut the inner periphery of the guide bore, as a result, the rack guide is unlikely to smoothly move in its axial direction.
  • a rack guide is formed of double cylinders and its outer cylinder, ellipse in shape, is pressed and fitted into a guide bore in the rectangular direction to the direction of reciprocation of the rack shaft.
  • the rack guide is also unlikely to smoothly move in its axial direction. Since the outer cylinder is connected to the inner cylinder through a rib which is disposed in the shorter radius side thereof and there is not provided a rib in the longer radius side, that is, in the direction of the force being exerted most by load of the pinion shaft, there is a problem that it lacks in rigidity.
  • the invention provides a rack and pinion type steering apparatus comprising a rack shaft, which is engaged with a pinion shaft connected to a steering wheel; a housing which houses said rack shaft, wherein a bore is formed at the rackless side of said rack shaft substantially orthogonal to said rack shaft; and a cylindrical rack guide made of synthetic resin, which is fitted into said bore and is biased in order to press said rack shaft against said pinion shaft in its longitudinal direction, characterised in that said rack guide is loosely fitted into said bore, and in that said rack guide includes on its outer periphery a plurality of axial ribs formed separately from each other by equal spaces along the circumference of said rack guide, and a plurality of peripheral ribs formed with a predetermined width between each axial rib along the circumference of said rack guide.
  • Radial movement of the rack guide which is loosely fitted into the bore is controlled by the ribs formed annularly in the direction of its circumference.
  • the direction of elastic contact with the rack shaft is maintained to be straight by a plurality of ribs formed equally spaced in the direction of the circumference with the direction of elastic contact of the rack guide with the rack shaft being the longitudinal one. Since most of thermal expansion of the rack guide at high temperature atmosphere is exerted to the outer periphery excluding both the ribs of the rack guide, only the rib portions abut the inner periphery of the guide bore.
  • Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fragmentary portion of a rack and pinion type steering apparatus in accordance with the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the apparatus of the invention).
  • a housing 5 there is disposed with a pinion shaft 4 which is connected and associated with a steering wheel (not shown), both sides of a pinion gear 4a thereof being supported by ball bearings 6a and 6b.
  • the pinion gear 4a of the pinion shaft 4 is engaged with a rack gear 3a being disposed in the rack shaft 3, whose longitudinal direction is positioned on the right and the left sides of a vehicle (not shown) and on both ends of which are arranged a ball joint, a link material and the like (all not shown) respectively so that the rack shaft can be connected to the right and left wheels (not shown).
  • the engagement position of the rack shaft 3 and pinion shaft 4 is changed and the rack shaft 3 moves longitudinally, thereby enabling steering the right and the left wheels.
  • the rack guide 1 made of synthetic resin in a form as shown in the perspective view taken from outward appearance of Fig. 2, is fitted into the guide bore 5a.
  • the rack guide 1 includes at the end side of the rack shaft 3 thereof a press surface 11 which has a form of a curved surface and is engaged with the periphery of the rack 3.
  • ribs 12 On the outer periphery of the rack guide 1, there are formed four ribs 12 being separated from each other by equal spaces in the quartered positions of circumference thereof in the longitudinal direction of the rack guide 1 in total length, and are formed in the direction of circumference thereof four belt-form ribs 13 between each rib 12 being about the middle of the longitudinal direction so as to be connected with each rib 12.
  • the respective ribs 12 and 13 are adapted to protrude by equal height from the outer periphery of the rack guide 1 respectively.
  • the height is determined so that at room temperature, the space formed between those ribs and the inner periphery of the guide bore 5a is to be about the same as the minimum value of allowing the rack guide 1 to move longitudinally as well as radially, namely, the space formed between the rack guide made of sintered alloy and the guide bore.
  • the press surface 11 of the rack guide 1 abut the periphery of the rack shaft 3 with predetermined pressure.
  • the rack shaft 3 moves longitudinally. At this time, there is a case where the rack shaft 3 receives reaction force from the pinion shaft 4 caused by changing of the engaging position with the pinion shaft 4, however, the force is eliminated by pressure of the rack guide 1 and their stable engagement can be maintained.
  • the rack guide 1 made of synthetic resin thermally expands.
  • the respective ribs 12 and 13 abut the inner surface of the guide bore 5a because of their thermal expansion
  • the recessed portions begin thermally expanding.
  • the depths, or, the protruded heights of the ribs 12 and 13 are set in advance so that the recessed portions are not tightly fitted into the inner surface of the guide bore 5a when they thermally expand even at the maximum temperature while the apparatus is normally used.
  • a rack and pinion type steering apparatus of the present invention as aforementioned is provided with ribs in the outer periphery of the rack guide made of synthetic resin and set the space formed between the ribs and the inner periphery of the guide bore being generally the same as the space formed between the outer periphery of the rack guide made of sintered alloy and the inner periphery of the guide bore.
  • the respective ribs enable press performance which is substantially the same as that of the rack guide made of sintered alloy, thus it is not liable to reduce the desirable reacting force at steering.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Transmission Devices (AREA)
EP89303875A 1988-04-22 1989-04-19 Rack and pinion type steering apparatus Expired - Lifetime EP0338800B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP54840/88U 1988-04-22
JP1988054840U JP2503354Y2 (ja) 1988-04-22 1988-04-22 舵取装置

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0338800A2 EP0338800A2 (en) 1989-10-25
EP0338800A3 EP0338800A3 (en) 1990-06-13
EP0338800B1 true EP0338800B1 (en) 1992-08-05

Family

ID=12981818

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89303875A Expired - Lifetime EP0338800B1 (en) 1988-04-22 1989-04-19 Rack and pinion type steering apparatus

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US4936157A (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png)
EP (1) EP0338800B1 (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png)
JP (1) JP2503354Y2 (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png)
DE (1) DE68902349T2 (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png)

Families Citing this family (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5660078A (en) * 1995-03-21 1997-08-26 Techco Corporation Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion
US5718149A (en) * 1995-03-21 1998-02-17 Techco Corporation Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion
US5802919A (en) * 1996-04-10 1998-09-08 Techco Corporation Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion
US5845532A (en) * 1996-04-10 1998-12-08 Techco Corporation Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion
WO1997038244A1 (en) * 1996-04-10 1997-10-16 Techco Corporation Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion
US5937703A (en) * 1997-02-25 1999-08-17 Trw Inc. Rack guide
US6076417A (en) * 1997-02-25 2000-06-20 Trw Inc. Rack guide having linear inner walls for supporting a rack
US5931046A (en) * 1997-03-13 1999-08-03 Techco Corporation Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion
US6119540A (en) * 1997-05-14 2000-09-19 Techco Corporation Yoke apparatus for rack and pinion
DE102004057160A1 (de) * 2004-11-26 2006-06-01 Zf Lenksysteme Gmbh Vorrichtung zum Andrücken einer Zahnstange an ein mit der Zahnstange in Eingriff stehendes Ritzel
KR101338593B1 (ko) * 2008-04-21 2013-12-06 현대자동차주식회사 차량 조향 장치의 더블 피니언 타입 기어 박스 앗세이
WO2014052813A1 (en) 2012-09-30 2014-04-03 Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation Steering yoke assembly
DE102019109651A1 (de) * 2019-04-11 2020-10-15 Zf Automotive Germany Gmbh Vorrichtung für eine Lenkung eines Kraftfahrzeugs

Family Cites Families (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1248982A (en) * 1968-08-30 1971-10-06 Cam Gears Ltd Improvements in or relating to rack and pinion assemblies
FR2029199A5 (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png) * 1969-01-17 1970-10-16 Simca Automobiles Sa
FR2180157A5 (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png) * 1972-04-10 1973-11-23 Gemmer France
JPS5347222U (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png) * 1976-09-27 1978-04-21
JPS5618270A (en) * 1979-07-25 1981-02-20 Ebara Mfg Water cooling*heater
JPS57103267A (en) * 1980-12-19 1982-06-26 Toshiba Corp Oxygen electrode
JPS5819873A (ja) * 1981-07-30 1983-02-05 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 酸素ガス濃淡電池
JPS58182869A (ja) * 1982-04-21 1983-10-25 Hitachi Ltd 絶縁ゲ−ト型電界効果半導体装置及びその製造方法
JPS5945149U (ja) * 1982-09-17 1984-03-26 トヨタ自動車株式会社 ツクアンドピニオン式ステアリングギヤ装置
JPS59216764A (ja) * 1983-05-24 1984-12-06 Toyota Motor Corp ラックアンドピニオン式ステアリング装置
JPS6125275A (ja) * 1984-07-16 1986-02-04 Nec Corp ベクトル命令処理装置
JPS6125275U (ja) * 1984-07-20 1986-02-14 トヨタ自動車株式会社 ラツク・ピニオン型かじ取り装置のラツク・ガイド
US4785685A (en) * 1986-04-09 1988-11-22 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Rack guide of synthetic resin for a rack and pinion type steering device
DE3622377A1 (de) * 1986-07-03 1988-01-07 Schwaebische Huettenwerke Gmbh Druckstueck fuer eine fahrzeuglenkvorrichtung

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE68902349T2 (de) 1993-03-11
JPH01158377U (US20080094685A1-20080424-C00004.png) 1989-11-01
US4936157A (en) 1990-06-26
DE68902349D1 (de) 1992-09-10
JP2503354Y2 (ja) 1996-06-26
EP0338800A2 (en) 1989-10-25
EP0338800A3 (en) 1990-06-13

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